The Passing of Charles H. Wadanabe

[Nick_A]

Charles H. Wadanabe never accepted the impossible. He had read of a problem that he believed he could solve through experimentation. He lived on a farm of many acres with his devoted wife and three children. At the age of forty five he decided to place a bench on his farm and measure off an exact mile from the bench. At that point he erected a starting stand and placed a strong weather proof ruler on the ground that would measure off the mile by inches.

Then he announced on days of good weather he would attempt to walk half the distance to the bench. On the first day he walked half a mile and placed a marker. He returned to the marker on the next day and again walked half the distance to the bench and placed another marker. It rained on the next day but on the following day he returned to the marker and again walked half the distance to the bench. Each day he walked half the distance to the bench. He continued this method until he collapsed of a heart attack just a short distance from the bench insisting that his goal was within his grasp. His gravestone replaced the bench and on it was written: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

[Dalek Prime]

Nothing ventured, nothing lost.

[Arising_uk]

Two things really, one he should have moved to a sunnier clime and two, was he remarking his ruler? As he should find that he reaches the limit of his rule at the moment he sits down on the bench I'd have thought?

[Nick_A]

Arising wrote:

Two things really, one he should have moved to a sunnier clime and two, was he remarking his ruler? As he should find that he reaches the limit of his rule at the moment he sits down on the bench I'd have thought?

Charles thought the same and that he would shortly be sitting on the bench enjoying a cold one but gradually began to believe it could never happen. It is rumored that the horror of this revelation brought him to suicide. Of course for the sake of his family the community denies this as rubbish. But it could be that as each day passed and Charles moved half the distance closer, he realized he could never reach his goal. He would always be a half short of it. He simply couldn't tolerate always being short of his goal by necessity even though the bench seemed so close. He finally took poison and collapsed on the ground.

[Arising_uk]

Charles thought the same and that he would shortly be sitting on the bench enjoying a cold one but gradually began to believe it could never happen. It is rumored that the horror of this revelation brought him to suicide. Of course for the sake of his family the community denies this as rubbish. But it could be that as each day passed and Charles moved half the distance closer, he realized he could never reach his goal. He would always be a half short of it. He simply couldn't tolerate always being short of his goal by necessity even though the bench seemed so close. He finally took poison and collapsed on the ground.

He was an idiot then as from what you say he was either remaking his rule or living where the sun never shone. Should have moved to a sunnier clime or kept his rule and basked upon his bench.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

This might be a stupid question, but what exactly was he trying to do?

[Nick_A]

vege asked:

This might be a stupid question, but what exactly was he trying to do?

He was trying to verify his hypothesis that if he traveled half the distance to his destination each day he would eventually reach it. A true man of science willing to die for research.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

vege asked:

This might be a stupid question, but what exactly was he trying to do?

He was trying to verify his hypothesis that if he traveled half the distance to his destination each day he would eventually reach it. A true man of science willing to die for research.

Ok. I get it now. It's a bit like the age catch-up story.

[Arising_uk]

Hopefully he won a Darwin Award.

[Dalek Prime]

vege asked:

This might be a stupid question, but what exactly was he trying to do?

He was trying to verify his hypothesis that if he traveled half the distance to his destination each day he would eventually reach it. A true man of science willing to die for research.

He could have figured this out, easily, by division on paper. And then taught himself calculus.

Oh look! A series! (1/2 )+(1/4)+...

[Nick_A]

D P wrote:

He could have figured this out, easily, by division on paper. And then taught himself calculus.

You underestimate the value and attraction of personal experience. Once word got out in the community that a scientific experiment was being carried out on the Wadanabe farm, people came from miles around to witness the experiment. So for their convenience Charles scheduled his walk to begin at 2:00 PM on each day weather permitting. So by the time Charles was within approx 100' of the bench people began taking bets on what day he would sit on the bench. Obviously calculus was out of the question. People demanded experiential proof.

[Arising_uk]

And they would have got it if he obviously hadn't been re-scaling his rule all the time, as he would have bumped into his bench trying to cover an inch.

[Dalek Prime]

D P wrote:

He could have figured this out, easily, by division on paper. And then taught himself calculus.

You underestimate the value and attraction of personal experience. Once word got out in the community that a scientific experiment was being carried out on the Wadanabe farm, people came from miles around to witness the experiment. So for their convenience Charles scheduled his walk to begin at 2:00 PM on each day weather permitting. So by the time Charles was within approx 100' of the bench people began taking bets on what day he would sit on the bench. Obviously calculus was out of the question. People demanded experiential proof.

He wasted his life doing the obvious. He could have made a pie, and served an 'infinite' number of his onlookers in one day, if he needed physical proof so badly, and lived to perform a more useful experiment the next. What an idiot.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

D P wrote:

He could have figured this out, easily, by division on paper. And then taught himself calculus.

You underestimate the value and attraction of personal experience. Once word got out in the community that a scientific experiment was being carried out on the Wadanabe farm, people came from miles around to witness the experiment. So for their convenience Charles scheduled his walk to begin at 2:00 PM on each day weather permitting. So by the time Charles was within approx 100' of the bench people began taking bets on what day he would sit on the bench. Obviously calculus was out of the question. People demanded experiential proof.

He wasted his life doing the obvious. He could have made a pie, and served an 'infinite' number of his onlookers in one day, if he needed physical proof so badly, and lived to perform a more useful experiment the next. What an idiot.

I think Nick is just trying to god-bother again. I know his god is poked in there somewhere.

[Dalek Prime]

D P wrote:

You underestimate the value and attraction of personal experience. Once word got out in the community that a scientific experiment was being carried out on the Wadanabe farm, people came from miles around to witness the experiment. So for their convenience Charles scheduled his walk to begin at 2:00 PM on each day weather permitting. So by the time Charles was within approx 100' of the bench people began taking bets on what day he would sit on the bench. Obviously calculus was out of the question. People demanded experiential proof.

He wasted his life doing the obvious. He could have made a pie, and served an 'infinite' number of his onlookers in one day, if he needed physical proof so badly, and lived to perform a more useful experiment the next. What an idiot.

I think Nick is just trying to god-bother again. I know his god is poked in there somewhere.

Somewhere between Wadanabe and the bench, I presume. No wonder the fool could never reach it.